"The Chicago Literary Hall of Fame’s mission is to promote and celebrate Chicago’s rich and proud literature tradition by honoring the authors whose words have best captured the essence of our city."
~The Chicago Hall of Fame Mission
Earlier this year I became involved with plans to create Chicago’s Literary Hall of Fame and help with the induction ceremony in 2010.
The Chicago Hall of Fame project is under the care of the Chicago Writers Association, and is the brainchild of Chicago writer, Don Evans. Our plans are to showcase some of the amazing literary talent that has sprung up from Chicago.
The initial induction class will consist of writers who have already passed away, but in the upcoming years, the Hall of Fame will be expanded to include living writers.
A 14-person nominating committee generated a list of Chicago writers that included: Jane Addams, Nelson Algren, Saul Bellow, Gwendolyn Brooks, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Edna Ferber, Ernest Hemingway, and others (Click here for the entire list and their biographies). The list will be narrowed down to six inductees, determined by Stuart Dybek, Rosellen Brown, Bill Savage, Haki R. Madhubuti, and Oachy Obejas. The winners will be announced next year.
I’ll keep you informed about the event.
Such interesting events going on in Chicago… unlike here. Of course, there’s Los Angeles, but that’s another story. 🙂
Being a Chicagoan…
…born & raised, I have to say this is awesome! I love anything with writers, but Chicago writers, that’s so cool. I wonder if someday I’ll see some very good writers from my old writing group in The Chicago’s Literary Hall of Fame !
This is waaaay off subject, something that popped into my head, a sort of “6th Degree of Separation” thing. I didn’t know Burroughs, author of Tarzan, was a Chicagoan! Johnny Weissmuller, who was the most famous Tarzan actor, lived in Chicago as a teen (went to Lane Tech H.S.), and dated my grandmother (Nana Hardy) Ethel Hibbard! Since he was a swimmer (Olympic champion) all their dates took place at Lake Michigan, where they went swimming.